


Her Sister's Motives

by vivvav



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Makoto Niijima Week, The AFR Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 20:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12117126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivvav/pseuds/vivvav
Summary: After the interrogation room, the revelation that Makoto is a Phantom Thief has shaken Sae to the core. With her feeling like she knows less about her younger sister than ever, she decides to ask Makoto's comrades about her new lifestyle.Written for Makoto Niijima Week. The prompt for Day 2 is "Family/Sae".





	Her Sister's Motives

**Author's Note:**

> What's Makoto Niijima Week? Check out this website for more info!
> 
> https://makotoniijimaweek.tumblr.com

**Art by[Hureno](http://hurenoshmureno.tumblr.com)**

* * *

 

It was midnight. Makoto and Sae sat at the kitchen table, staring at each other uneasily. Both of them were trying to rationally navigate the storms of emotion raging in their heads.

Makoto was worried about Ren. He’d been beaten and drugged in that interrogation room. Now he was pronounced dead. Because the police weren’t releasing his name, Ms. Kawakami and Sojiro had somehow been able to convince the school he had to go back to the country for “family reasons”, but he still had to keep his head down in public, because their enemies knew who he was now. Remarkably, Ren seemed just as strong as ever, the same reliable guy who never complained that she fell in love with, but honestly, it seemed like he was taking things too well.

Still, Makoto had other concerns. Like her sister sitting across from her, who’d spent the past few months trying to bring down the Phantom Thieves, only to learn all of their identities. Sae had helped save Ren's life, but they never actually changed her heart, which meant that her desires may still be somewhat distorted. And with how demanding Sae was in regards to Makoto’s behavior and activities, Makoto felt like she’d just stepped on a landmine. But she hadn’t exploded yet, which was an oddity in itself. For the first time in years, Makoto genuinely had no idea what to expect from her big sister.

Sae was conflicted. After listening to Ren Amamiya's entire cock and bull story about magic cats and worlds inside hearts, she wound up extracting him from the interrogation room. And it seemed that Goro Akechi did indeed try to murder the boy thief, and the government was acting like he’d succeeded. And moreover, her younger sister, the girl who was supposed to be the perfect student, was one of the Phantom Thieves she’d been trying to expose. She had a million questions, and just letting them sit in her head wasn’t going to get answers.

“So…” Sae said calmly. “You’re a Phantom Thief.”

“Yes” Makoto said, matching her sister’s tone. The two spoke stiffly, as if they were in a professional environment, trying to power through the awkwardness in the air.

“How long?”

“Since Kaneshiro.”

“Yes, that matches up with Amamiya's recollection of events.” The dullest bit of concern dawned on Sae’s face. “How is he doing?”

“His recovery is steady.” Makoto’s voice was tinged with sadness. “The worst of it are some minor bone fractures, but they are not serious. There are some chest pains as well, but for the most part it is just soreness all over.”

“That’s… good.” Sae took a deep breath to calm herself. She’d need it for what was coming next. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“You know what.” A bit of all-too-familiar anger flared up in Sae’s eyes.

“I imagine there are a great many ‘whats’” Makoto said. To Sae’s surprise, there was no fear. Looking back, it seemed like Makoto had been walking on eggshells around her since their father’s death, but she was keeping unexpectedly cool in the current situation. Where Sae might have considered this defiance, instead Makoto’s statement seemed genuine, just stating facts. “You’ll have to be more specific as to which ‘what’ you want to know about first.”

“Fair enough. Why did you become a Phantom Thief?”

“It wasn’t a conscious decision.” Makoto tilted her head to the side. “Haven’t you heard the story from Ren?”

“I heard a partial version that did not implicate you— nor any of your friends— as actual members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.” The only reason Sae knew who the members were was because of who all showed up at LeBlanc. Granted, the roster was exactly who she’d guessed from Ren's story, but it was clear that the boy had been withholding details. “The story Amamiya told was one of a nosy student council president forced by a cowardly sack of fat to investigate criminal activities with her future on the line. The girl came to question the morality of the people she was investigating, and then wound up getting herself in trouble with one of the most dangerous crime bosses in Tokyo. Afterwards, the Phantom Thieves changed his heart and saved her from this man’s greed.”

“Well, none of that is inaccurate, but it is far from the whole truth.” Makoto actually smiled a bit. She was impressed that in his drug-addled state, Ren had been lucid enough not to directly implicate his friends as accomplices. “How much do you understand about the Metaverse?”

“I think I grasp the basics of it.” Sae scratched her head trying to recall the full details. “You go into a world created from another person’s mind and fight their inner demons with something called a ‘Persona’, which is… your own inner demons that you’ve come to terms with?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, but it’s close enough for the purposes of this discussion.” Makoto nodded. “My Persona awoke when I met Kaneshiro’s Shadow. Her name was Johanna, and she was a talking motorcycle.”

“‘Was?’” Sae cocked her eyebrow. “Do you no longer have it?”

Makoto had no words. She burst out into a giggling fit.

“What’s so funny?” Sae asked.

“I’m sorry.” Makoto took a few slow breaths, calming herself down. “That’s not quite the reaction I was expecting. I tell you that I had a talking motorcycle and you focus on the fact that I spoke in the past tense.”

“In light of all I have learned, I am trying to keep my mind open to the stranger parts of this story.”

“Of course. To answer your question, Johanna changed form into a more humanoid being called ‘Anat’.” Makoto frowned slightly. “Before you ask, I’m not entirely certain why that happened. But she is more powerful than before.”

“Alright, then let me reframe my original question. Why did you remain with the Phantom Thieves after awakening to your Persona?”

“Because Kaneshiro was threatening us and other students like us.”

“And you thought the best course of action would be to endanger yourself in a magical brain world!?” Sae was far too tired to hide her anger. “Why didn’t you go to the police!? Or come to me for help!? I could have protected you from him!”

“I didn’t want to cause more problems for you.” Makoto looked down at the table sadly. “I wanted to prove that I wasn’t useless. That I could do something other than eat away at your life.”

“What are you talking about!? I would never say-“

Sae shut up.

That’s right.

She HAD said that.

She had a million more questions, but in this moment, she didn’t want to ask them. Ren Amamiya had mentioned that the Phantom Thieves drew their power from rebellion, among other things. Was Sae the one Makoto had been rebelling against? Did her younger sister endanger her life because Sae had snapped at her? Sae had been Makoto’s caretaker for years now, but she was just now realizing that she hadn’t actually shown her sister much genuine care. It was all cold expectations and harsh instructions. Still, she had to say something.

“Are you safe?” Sae asked.

“Safe enough.”

“And I’m assuming you wouldn’t quit the Phantom Thieves, even if I told you to?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“It’s late.” Sae rose from the table and started to walk out of the room. “We’ll talk about this more later. I think it’d be best for us to both get some sleep.”

“Ok.” Makoto remained seated. “Good night, Sis.”

“Good night, Makoto.” Sae walked into her bedroom and closed the door. A moment later, she heard Makoto’s footsteps, followed by the closing of Makoto’s bedroom door.

Sae removed her suit, letting it crumple up on the floor instead of folding it up neatly to have properly cleaned later. She collapsed on the bed in her underwear instead of changing into her usual pajamas, too tired to keep standing. Sae was beginning to realize just how little she knew her sister, how much she’d hurt her, how much Makoto must resent her.

No, wait, that wasn’t true. If Makoto resented Sae, she probably wouldn’t care about being a burden. Unless maybe the loathing was subconscious. It was clear to Sae that she just didn’t know Makoto, and so asking her questions directly may only result in lies. Sae needed to talk to some people who actually knew Makoto.

* * *

Ordinarily Ryuji would’ve gone running with Ren around this time, but even if Ren wasn’t supposed to be dead, he wasn’t really in training condition at the moment. With nothing else to do, Ryuji was just going to head home early. Or so he planned. Ryuji was stopped by a hand being placed on his shoulder.

“Do you have a moment, Sakamoto?”

Ryuji turned around to see Sae Niijima towering over him. She looked as stern as ever.

“Huh?” Ryuji stuck his hands in his pockets. “Makoto’s sis?”

“Sae” she said in an annoyed tone.

“Whatever.” If he was being honest with himself, Ryuji had no idea why he was acting so rude to Sae. She had saved Ren's life after all. But historically, authority figures tended to look down on Ryuji, and Sae was literally looking down at him with the same derision that most adults approached him with. “Whaddya want?”

“I’d like to ask you some questions if you have the time.”

“About what?”

“What do you think?” Sae’s eyes narrowed in beleaguered annoyance.

“Oh.” Ryuji smiled sheepishly for a second, then returned to a look of contempt, his nostrils flaring. “I can’t right now. Got stuff to do.”

“Like what?” Sae crossed her arms. As a prosecutor and a cop’s daughter, Sae had tons of training and experience with identifying when somebody was lying. When it came to Ryuji, she didn’t really need any of it. The kid was an open book.

“Uuuuhhhhh…” Ryuji’s eyes trailed off to the side as he stood in place, mouth agape like a neanderthal.

“If you’re going to lie to someone, at least put a little thought into it before you get started.” Ordinarily Sae wouldn’t give somebody advice on how to misbehave, but she felt like Ryuji wasn’t the type who retained information all that well. “Look, you’re not in any kind of trouble, I just want to get a better understanding of what exactly it is you people do.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because my sister is involved, and as her guardian, I need to know what she’s getting herself into.”

“Oh.” Ryuji scratched his head. “Why don’t you just ask her that?”

“I want to get a feel for the people she’s spending time with.”

“‘Kay.” Ryuji yawned, looking around the subway platform. “Is this the place for it, though?”

“Of course not. Follow me outside.” Sae turned around and headed for the stairs out of the station.

“‘Kay.” Ryuji meandered after her.

* * *

Ann dug into her cheeks with her fingertips and clacked her jaw as she started rubbing them in a circular motion. The photoshoot she’d just done had a beach backdrop, with her and some boy walking towards the “ocean”, looking at each other and laughing together. Although it wasn’t comfortable, holding completely still while in mid-step didn’t bother Ann much. What really got to her was the big open-mouth smile she had to hold the whole time. The shoot took much longer than it should have, and she really just wanted to get out of this bathing suit and back into her own clothes. Right now, Ann was tired. Unless she got a crepe in her fast, she didn’t think she’d have the energy to smile at any point for the rest of the day.

Turns out, Ann had just enough juice left in her to give a shriek.

Sae Niijima stood in the changing room, checking her hair in the mirror. The eyes of her reflection looked up, staring straight at Ann.

“My apologies for the sudden disturbance” Sae said. “Are you expected out of this room soon?”

“N-No.” Ann was shaken by the harsh red eyes peering at her from the mirror. Even though they were just a reflection, they were very much like Makoto’s whenever she got angry. “Mine was the last shoot of the day, so nobody else is coming in here.”

“Excellent.” Sae turned to Ann, the genuine article’s eyes now trained on the model. “Then this will be the perfect place for us to talk.”

* * *

Yusuke sat in his dorm room, scowling at the artist’s mannequin on his desk. The articulated wooden figure could be posed into any form he so desired, and yet he simply could not draw inspiration from a facsimile of a human being. The wooden figure could be made to do anything a person could, but he could not capture humanity from it.

Yusuke’s frustrations were interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up and opened it to see one of his teachers and Sae Niijima waiting for him in the hallway.

“Kitagawa-Kun,” the teacher said, “this is Sae Niijima from the public prosecutor’s office. She would like you to answer some questions about Madarame, if you have the time.”

“Of course.” Yusuke said stoically. “Please come in, Niijima-San.”

“Thank you, Kitagawa-Kun.” Sae entered the dorm room and closed the door in the teacher’s face before he could give them any parting words.

“Madarame has been in jail for some time now” Yusuke said. “I doubt you are here for the reason you told the faculty.”

“Very astute of you” Sae said.

“Should I assume that you wish to talk to me about the Phantom Thieves, now that you know I am a member?”

“That’s correct.”

“Very well.” Yusuke stepped back and gave Sae a curious stare. “I will answer your questions on one condition.”

“And that is?”

“You must be open to serving as inspiration for my art.”

“I’m not going to model for you.” Sae glared at Yusuke. There had been some “artists” who had propositioned her like that in the past. In truth, their offers of modeling were poorly-conceived and obvious attempts to get in her pants. Of course, Yusuke Kitagawa clearly didn’t have such intentions with her, but she had no time to waste on such frivolities. The only reason she had time to talk to all of Makoto’s friends like this was because with the Phantom Thieves case “closed”, nobody was really expecting anything from her at the moment. The entire SIU was riding the high of the supposed death of the Phantom Thieves’ leader, and everybody had gotten notably sloppier.

“Of course not” Yusuke said. “I simply wished for you to know that I will be observing you as you ask me questions.”

“Is that all?” Sae gave a peculiar huff that almost resembled a laugh. “You could’ve just done that without asking me.”

“I have been told that I have a tendency to stare” Yusuke replied. “I believed a warning would be appropriate.”

“Can we just begin?”

“Certainly.”

* * *

Futaba was squatting in the alleyway outside LeBlanc, feeling restless. Normally she’d be waiting for Ren to come home, but he was still recovering from his injuries and Futaba didn’t want to bother him. Usually Ren was her rock, a sturdy wall she could lean on for support. But right now he had visible cracks, and she didn’t want to be the one responsible for him crumbling. She felt like she should just go back to her room, but being outside on her own — even if it was just outside LeBlanc’s front door — was something she needed to get more experience with. Futaba had come really far in the past few months, but slipping into old habits was really easy, and becoming a healthier Futaba Sakura was something she had to put effort into every single day.

And when a silver-haired giantesses loomed over her, the struggle felt very real indeed.

“Hello” Sae said coldly.

“Hi” Futaba barely managed to squeak out. “Sojiro’s inside” she mumbled.

“I’m here to talk to you, actually.” Sae tried to speak less harshly than usual. She was more than familiar with Futaba’s life story, from her mother’s suicide (or murder, rather, as Ren had informed her that night in the interrogation room), to her abusive uncle, to her years as a self-loathing, suicidal shut-in. Sae was very used to using fear to get what she wanted, but it was pretty clear that this tiny redhead who was already practically in a fetal position would not respond well to such tactics. And so, although she was out of practice, Sae attempted to speak to Futaba with tenderness. She crouched down, but even after lowering herself as much as she could without sitting on the dirty ground, she was still far above Futaba’s eye level. “I realize this is uncomfortable for you, but there are still things I don’t understand about this entire Phantom Thief situation, and it’s very important that I’m able to wrap my head around it.”

Futaba looked up at Sae silently. She was clearly considering Sae’s words, but it seemed like she was equally likely to agree to talk to Sae, clam up completely, or jump to her feet and run away. Sae didn’t care for those odds. She needed something to push Futaba over the edge.

“Please.”

Futaba groaned, staring at Sae expectantly. Sae took that for a yes.

* * *

Haru wiped her brow as she plucked the fresh tomatoes from her garden. Ren had helped her plant these just a few days before his arrest, and it occurred to her that a salad made from homegrown vegetables might be just the thing to help speed his recovery along. True, salad wasn’t exactly the first thing to cross one’s mind when deciding what foods to give the bedridden, but if Ren had his way all he’d ever eat was curry and Big Bang Burger, something Makoto confessed concerned her over lunch one day. While Haru certainly appreciated Ren's patronage (he was the only person besides herself she’d ever known to complete all three levels of the Big Bang Challenge), she agreed with Makoto that it was simply no way to live. The Phantom Thieves’ leader had mastery of many things, but a well-rounded, healthy diet was not one of them.

She was distracted from her work when she heard the sound of the rooftop door opening. Haru rose and turned around to see who it was, expecting somebody like Ann or Ryuji, though Makoto seemed the most likely option. She certainly didn’t expect to see the elder Niijima sister.

“Your peers told me I could find you up here” Sae said.

“As you can see, they were correct.” Haru smiled at Sae. “Is there something I can help you with, Prosecutor Niijima?”

“I’d like to ask you some questions about the Phantom Thieves.” Sae walked over to Haru, stopping a couple feet in front of her.

“Of course.” Haru tilted her head back, gesturing over her shoulder. “Do you mind if I continue my gardening as you do so?”

“Not at all.” Sae took out a notepad. “Now, first question…”

* * *

 

> **Why did you become a Phantom Thief?**

* * *

“Uh…” Ryuji leaned against a wall in the alley outside Untouchable. It was a pretty remote area where nobody would bother them. The only person who’d notice them was Iwai, and it’s not like he gave a damn what went on outside his door. “To stop bad guys nobody else was stoppin’, I guess.”

“That’s it?” Sae’s eyes scanned Ryuji up and down, as if she’d somehow find physical evidence of the truth on his person somewhere. “There’s nothing specific that motivated you?”

“Well, Kamoshida, duh.” Ryuji kicked the ground. “That bastard ruined my life and the lives of a bunch of other people, and everyone knew and was lettin’ him get away with it. Once we learned there was a way to stop him, of course we were gonna do it.”

“That’s right, you were one of the founding members.” Sae scrawled something onto her notepad. “Did you ever have doubts about the morality of your actions?”

“No way.”

* * *

“My best friend tried to kill herself.”

“You’re referring to Shiho Suzui.”

“Yeah.” Ann’s eyes were full of fury. “Kamoshida called her to his office and… Well, you know.”

“I do.” Although she wasn’t assigned to handle the prosecution herself, Sae had taken a special interest in Kamoshida’s case. The man was a teacher at Makoto’s school and sexually abusing female students. The idea that Makoto could have been a victim to that kind of thing made her blood run cold when she found out.

“Well, nobody was doing anything about it. Everyone knew exactly what was going on but wouldn’t say anything because of a few stupid trophies in a display case.” Ann’s eyes seemed like they were on the verge of crying, but no tears ever came. “Shiho is one of the best people I know. She never hurt anybody. She was nice to everyone, and asked me how I was feeling when everyone else started spreading rumors about me because of my looks. I didn’t want to live in a world where somebody as wonderful as Shiho almost dies because of a guy like Kamoshida and he gets away with it.” Ann wiped the tears from her eyes, giving Sae a determined look. “I REFUSED to live in a world like that. So when I had a chance to change the world so it wouldn’t happen, I took it.”

* * *

“Because those of evil nature will take advantage of the good-natured as long as they are able to.” Yusuke created a frame with his fingers and leaned back, trying to capture all of Sae inside of it. Her height was making it somewhat difficult.

“You mean Madarame?”

“Not exclusively, but I suppose that is where I learned the lesson.” Yusuke’s lips curled downward into a distasteful smear. “In hindsight, I suppose that’s the only lesson my so-called ‘Sensei’ ever truly taught me.” Yusuke sighed and sat down in his desk chair. “I was blinded by love. I knew that Madarame engaged in dishonest activities, but I ignored it because he was practically my father. I saw other students come under his tutelage full of hope and promise, and leave broken and dissatisfied. But I didn’t want to believe that he was wrong, so I tried to justify his actions in my own mind.”

“What changed that?”

“Being dragged into his Palace.” Yusuke’s brows furrowed. “Seeing firsthand the abhorrent way in which he actually viewed his students, the illusion was shattered. I wanted to believe in Madarame, and so I turned a blind eye to his wickedness. How many other acts of evil are being perpetuated simply because good people do not wish to believe they are happening? Cruelty takes advantage of kindness and remains hidden, allowed to thrive. That is what the Phantom Thieves are fighting against.”

* * *

“I dunno.”

“You don’t?” Sae looked at Futaba in confusion. “It is my understanding that you are a very intelligent girl. Surely you must have some idea.”

“I mean, it wasn’t something I chose to do.” Futaba turned her head away from Sae. “I’m not like the others.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone else had somebody evil they were fighting against. I was my own worst enemy.”

“That’s right. You were sucked into your own Palace, weren’t you?” That part of Ren's story had been very intriguing to Sae. Ever since that night, she wondered what it would be like if she were to enter her own Palace.

“Yeah. They saved me from myself.” Futaba looked up at Sae. “By the time I understood what was going on, I already had my Persona and everything. And then they became my friends, and gave me somewhere I belong. They even made me think I could become part of the world again, instead of being shut-in all the time.” A small smile appeared on Futaba’s face. “They’re my family.”

* * *

“You know about my father’s indiscretions, I’m sure” Haru said.

“Yes.”

“I did not know the full extent of his crimes, but I knew my father had become a changed man. Harsh, cruel, overcome by greed and lust for power.” Haru frowned as she checked a tomato for any insect bites or bruises. “My father had always been a strict and ambitious man, but there was a time in my life where that was tempered by love. He worked hard because he wanted the best for us, and he insisted I become a proper young lady because he cared about my future. As the years went on, that side of him seemed to vanish entirely.”

Sae said nothing. The situation Haru was describing struck too close to home for her to think of a response.

“I learned of the Metaverse before becoming a Phantom Thief, you know. I had not fully awakened to my Persona. But I learned there was a way to fix Father, to make him atone for his sins. Mona-Chan and I tried to hard to infiltrate his Palace on our own, but we simply didn’t have the strength needed to reach his treasure with just the two of us.” Haru giggled. “It’s funny to think that the Phantom Thieves and I were somewhat antagonistic at first. Although that came to pass. Mona-Chan made up with the others, I awakened to my Persona in full, and I joined the group. And then we reached the heart of Father’s Palace, and we took his treasure. And then…”

Haru stopped moving completely. She had her back turned to Sae, but the young prosecutor didn’t need to see her face to know what was going through her head at that moment.

“I’m sorry for your loss” Sae said.

“The people that did this to him are still out there. Not just Akechi-Kun, but also his masters. I will see to it that they are brought to justice.”

“So you’re out for revenge?”

“I will not lie, Niijima-San. I will enjoy it when the people who killed my father are brought down. Perhaps even sadistically so.” Haru stood up and looked at Sae grimly. “But this is about more than my desires. If they are not stopped, they will hurt more people. My father’s workers would have continued to suffer had we not stopped him. All of the Phantom Thieves’ targets would have continued hurting people had they not had their hearts changed. Our work helps people.”

“Alright then.” Sae looked down at her notepad. “Next question…”

* * *

 

> **What is your role in the Phantom Thieves?**

* * *

“I don’t got one.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t got a special job” Ryuji said. “I just bust open Shadows’ heads.”

“Shadows…” Sae tried to remember what Ren said about those. He didn’t go into a ton of detail about them. “Those are monsters in the Metaverse, right?”

“Yeah. There’s lots of ‘em. We gotta kick their asses to get to the treasure.” Ryuji grinned. “My Persona also shoots lightning at ‘em. Pretty badass, right?”

“That’s…” Sae couldn’t think of a way to finish her sentence. The magic aspect of all this was something she wasn’t really prepared to handle.

* * *

“I guess I don’t really have an official role,” Ann said, “but I’m kinda the team’s spy, I guess?”

“How so?”

“Well, you’re a good-looking woman. You know how guys get around girls like us.”

“Unfortunately.” Sae’s response had no small amount of annoyance to it. She was all too familiar with how little men thought of women. It was the greatest obstacle in her life.

“Exactly! Like, that’s how we got into Madarame’s operation. And sometimes, when we’re fighting the Shadows and Joker’s— that’s Ren— trying to get something from them, I can start fake crying or swing my hips and get them to go along with what he wants.”

“So you seduce opponents?” Sae gave Ann a disturbed look. “Including non-human ones?”

“It sounds totally sleazy when you say it like that.” Ann fiddled with one of her pigtails. “It’s not like I actually do anything or show them the goods. I’m usually out there fighting with everyone else. But some situations just call for a woman’s touch.”

* * *

“Your question is flawed.”

“What do you mean?”

“Most of us don’t have a special role in the group.” Yusuke was once again on his feet and framing Sae with his fingers. “ Ren, Futaba, and Makoto do, but the rest of us are simply members.”

“So the Phantom Thieves have a hierarchy with those three at the top, and the rest of you are just foot soldiers?”

“Hardly.” Yusuke chuckled. “We are a band of thieves, not a military company. All members are equal. We do not pursue targets without consensus.”

“I thought Ren Amamiya was your leader.”

“He is, but it is a position we put him in. We value his judgment, and so we look to him for guidance in key situations. But he does not command us constantly.” Yusuke smiled warmly. “There is trust among us.”

* * *

“I’m the navigator.”

“And what does that entail?”

“It’s what it sounds like.” Futaba gave Sae a bored look. “I monitor the area and keep the team aware of their surroundings.”

“That must be hard to do in the middle of a fight.”

“I don’t fight. I provide support.”

“What kind of support?”

“Buffing strength and speed, providing heals and energy refills, position hacks, that kind of thing.”

“‘Position hacks’?” Sae’s eyes widened. “That’s right! You’re their hacker! You took down Medjed and helped Makoto steal data from my laptop!”

“Ren told you about that part!?” Futaba looked around nervously, scanning her surroundings for an escape route.

* * *

“I fight Shadows” Haru said. “I have an axe, a grenade launcher, and my Persona has further firearm capabilities and psychic powers.”

“You have weapons?”

“We all have weapons” Haru said. “Each of us has some form of close combat weapon and some kind of firearm. For example, Mako-Chan has brass knuckles and a revolver.”

“Makoto owns a gun!?” Sae knew about Makoto’s brass knuckles. As the daughters of a police officer, she and her sister had been trained in martial arts and taught to keep self-defense items on them at all times. Sae knew that Makoto was talented in martial arts and had kept her skills honed over the years. They had a punching bag in their apartment, after all. But the gun was news to her.

“It’s not a real gun” Haru said. “In the cognitive world, non-functional replicas and even toys can be just as lethal as an actual weapon, if not more so.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better” Sae said.

“No, I imagine it wouldn’t.” Haru had to stifle a giggle, before giving Sae a knowing look. “Why don’t you get to the real questions, Niijima-San?”

“Excuse me?”

“This is about Mako-Chan, isn’t it?” Haru’s face was the picture of serenity. “You’re worried about her being a Phantom Thief, so you want to know more about what she’s doing with her time and who she’s spending it with.”

“That’s correct.”

“But you also want to know about Mako-Chan herself, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Sae didn’t look back to her notepad. She stared Haru directly in the eyes.

* * *

 

> **What does Makoto do in the Phantom Thieves?**

* * *

“Well she USED to ride a bitchin’ motorcycle” Ryuji said. “Then it became some kinda Transformer.”

“Yes, she’s told me about that part.” Sae was still having trouble imagining Makoto on a motorcycle. “So she just fights Shadows, like the rest of you?”

“Nah.” Ryuji shook his head. “She’s the brains of our group.”

“The brains?”

* * *

“She’s the team’s strategist” Ann said.

“Your strategist? You mean to tell me Makoto is the one who plans your heists?”

“No, we all kinda make that up as we go along.”

* * *

“Although she HAS helped us solve many a puzzle…” Yusuke scratched his chin in thought.

“There are puzzles?”

“The human heart is a truly peculiar place, full of all manner of confounding obstacles to trip up invaders such as ourselves.” An amused smile appeared on Yusuke’s face. “I recall the keypads of Kaneshiro’s Palace. Ren insisted that he would remember every letter’s corresponding number on the keypads. He did not, but Makoto had been keeping a streamlined list to crack the code while Ren fumbled through scattered documents he’d discovered as he went along. ”

* * *

“Between me and Queen, we’ve got a pretty comprehensive view of the battlefield whenever a fight starts” Futaba said. “Queen— that’s Makoto— keeps in mind what enemies are weak and resistant to, and lets certain members of the team know when to pull back or press their advantage.”

“It sounds more and more like Makoto is your real leader.”

* * *

“Does it?” Haru gave Sae an adoring look, as if she were fawning over a baby animal. Frankly, it was unnerving. It was not the kind of attention Sae was used to. “Or is it perhaps that you can’t help but think of Mako-Chan as the kind of person who is always the best at whatever she does?” Haru giggled. “I wonder what Ren-Kun would think of your assessment.”

“I mean no disrespect to Amamiya.” That was true. Sae didn’t exactly like Ren, but he had proven himself to be more than the nasty criminal everybody thought he was, and she did find herself begrudgingly beginning to admire him. “That he was willing to be tortured for your plan shows just why you all put faith in him as your leader. But the more I learn about the Phantom Thieves, the more it sounds like a ceremonial title.”

“I suppose every leader has their own style.” Haru’s smile vanished. “My father’s leadership style was short-sighted and authoritarian. He did whatever would bring him immediate gain without thinking of how it would impact others, and wouldn’t listen to anybody else unless they were telling him what he wanted to hear.” Slowly, the corners of her mouth turned upwards again. “Ren-Kun is very much the opposite. He values our input, and we in turn value his. And it is that trust that makes us listen to him when he does decide he needs to take charge.”

“And just what has he done to earn his position? I understand that the Phantom Thieves already operate democratically. What makes Ren Amamiya so special that he gets to be the leader?”

“More than anybody else, Ren-Kun has gotten to know us all as individuals.” Haru looked at her tomatoes. “He’s not the leader because of his strength or intelligence — although both are remarkable. He spends time with us individually and has helped us in our lives outside of the Phantom Thieves. He has proven himself to be a wonderful friend, and so we want to follow him. In a way, he knows us better than anybody.”

“Fascinating…” Sae put away her notepad and turned towards the roof-access door. “No more questions.”

* * *

So far, Sae had been beating around the bush. She was approaching this fact-finding mission too sternly, with too much of a professional facade. Ren Amamiya had been very open with her. Aside from refusing to explicitly name his friends and get them in trouble with the law, he’d been completely honest with her about his time in Tokyo and what he’d been doing. And if he was truly as close with his friends as he was told, he would have the answers about Makoto she was looking for. It was with no small amount of reluctance that Sojiro allowed Sae to climb the stairs to Ren's room. But when she explained her concerns as a guardian, the cafe owner didn’t exactly feel like he was in a position to deny her.

Ren was receptive to Sae, although his cat didn’t appear to be. A week ago Sae wouldn’t believe the argument playing out between man and cat in front of her was genuine, but seeing it firsthand made it hard to dispute the bizarreness of reality.

“She’s not going to attack me!”

“MEOW!”

“Because she’s the one who saved my life! You were there when we made the plan!”

“REOWR!”

“Give us some privacy! Go bother Futaba or something!”

“HISS!”

The cat gave Sae a prolonged stink eye as it slowly walked out of the room. For her part, she gave just as good back, not letting the fact that an animal was trying to stare her down in a human fashion faze her. Ultimately, Sae seemed to win the battle of the wills and Morgana left.

“Have a seat, Sae-San.” Ren, still sitting in bed, gestured to the couch against the wall. He was visibly uncomfortable moving, but he put on a brave face. Sae took his instruction, sinking into the couch a bit. It was older and much more worn out than the L-couch in her apartment, but still comfortable.

“I have some more questions to ask you, Amamiya-Kun.” Sae decided to forgo asking Ren about his condition, figuring he’d appreciate whatever distraction she could provide from it. “It’s not about your operations like last time.”

“It’s about Makoto, right?” Ren gave Sae a knowing smile. She wondered if the boy could sense the discomfort in her.

“How did you know?”

“Did you think you could corner all of my friends and none of them would tell me about it?” Ren chuckled, though the short laugh was cut off by a hiss and a wince. Sae wished she could build a case against those officers who tortured him, but she knew it’d never happen in a million years. “I’ve got to say, though, I’m curious what you think you’ll get from me. From what I’ve been told, it sounds like you know pretty much everything about Makoto’s role in the team already.”

“Yes, but Okumura told me that you were closer to Makoto than the others are.”

“She did?” Ren actually counted himself lucky that he’d gotten used to forcing himself to suppress any and all outbursts over the past few days, because otherwise he wouldn’t be able to sell his shock as confusion. On the outside, he seemed to find Sae’s statement a curiosity. On the inside, he was panicking, wondering just how much Haru told the prosecutor about Ren and Makoto’s relationship. Yeah, Sae would have to find out at some point, but now really wasn’t the time for it.

“I understand you spend quite a bit of personal time with all of the Phantom Thieves outside of your regular operations.” Sae sat stiffly, trying to maintain her professional demeanor.

“I do.” Ren found himself relieved that Sae didn’t seem to be privy to the romantic nature of his relationship with her sister. However, the void where anxiety had been was quickly filled by suspicion, and he cocked an eyebrow to show it. “I hope you’re not going to ask me what Makoto and I do when we hang out. I understand why you would wish to know, Sae-San, but frankly I’m not comfortable talking about any of my friends behind their back.”

“I’ll admit that I’m curious, but that’s not what I want to ask.” Sae started fiddling with a strand of her hair, afraid of what the answer might be to the question in her head. She took a deep breath and decided to bite the bullet. “ Amamiya-Kun, in your opinion as her friend, is Makoto happy?”

“What do you mean?”

“As you know, Makoto and I have not been particularly close as of late.” Sae let out an exasperated sigh, looking down at her feet in shame. “I realize that the blame for this falls on my shoulders, and it’s too late for me to forbid Makoto from acting as a Phantom Thief. But is she doing it because she enjoys the work? Or is all of this her way of lashing out? However just your actions are, you cannot deny that there is a notable edge of teenage rebellion to the Phantom Thieves’ activities.”

“You’re right.” Ren snickered. “I bet we’d all be doing this 100% differently if we were thirty years old.”

“So you admit it.”

“There’s no reason not to.” Ren flashed a cocky smirk. It was the same one Sae had seen a few times when he recounted the downfall of the Phantom Thieves’ targets. “Teenage rebellion gets a bad rap, but that doesn’t mean it’s never justified.”

“I suppose not.” Sae looked up at Ren, not bothering to hide the worry in her eyes. “But is Makoto really getting anything out of it, or is she just a Phantom Thief to spite society?”

“None of us are Phantom Thieves because we hate the world.” Ren crossed his arms. “The world is broken and we want to fix it. We are not a wrecking ball. Makoto is not acting out of spite. Not for society, and not for you.”

“I beg your pardon?” Sae was not expecting this teenage boy to cut to the heart of her anxieties.

“I’m not going to sit here and lie to you. Yes, you have hurt Makoto. She has felt caged by your expectations and taken rash actions because of hurtful things you’ve said to her. If Makoto had a Palace and there was a cognition of you in there, I’m guessing she would be a harsh and imposing figure.”

Sae said nothing. Ren was confirming her worst fears. Even though she felt like she already knew the truth, Sae had no plan for how she’d react when it finally came out.

“But before you go beating yourself up, there’s something else you should know.”

“What’s that?”

“She doesn’t resent you for it.” Ren gave Sae a weary smile. “Even after everything, Makoto looks up to you so much. You should have seen her in your Palace. She couldn’t believe that the big sister she idolized had been so twisted by the world. It was kind of like Futaba’s Palace. Makoto didn’t see somebody evil who needed to be stopped at all costs, she saw somebody good that the world put through the wringer and had come out worse for it. In her eyes, you’re driven, intelligent, and hard-working, and Makoto knows from her own experiences how ready people are to take advantage of that.”

Once again, Sae was silent. She was trying to process this new information Ren had for her.

“You know, one time, there was this big storm. And then there was a power outage, and Makoto freaked out and started crying for you to come save her. You’re her hero. I don’t think Makoto’s ever been angry AT you, but I do know that she has been sad FOR you. She doesn’t see you as having turned into a villain, she sees you as another victim. One more person for the Phantom Thieves to help.”

“I see.” A tiny smile began to form on Sae’s face, though her expression as a whole was still troubled. “Thank you for telling me this.”

“Talk to Makoto, Sae-San.” Ren smiled at the older woman. “I appreciate why maybe you felt like you couldn’t before, but you should really hear this all firsthand. I feel like you two probably have a lot to talk about, but you shouldn’t be afraid of it.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.” Sae rose from the couch. “Get well soon, Ama- Ren-Kun.”

Sae headed downstairs, taking care to step over a curious Morgana who had apparently been eavesdropping on them. She gave Sojiro a silent nod and left the cafe, pulling out her cell phone. She quickly brought up Makoto’s contact information and hit the call button.

“Hey Sis, what’s up?”

“Have you started dinner yet?”

“No.”

“Good. Don’t.”

“Are you stuck at work again? I can just make dinner for myself if-“

“Don’t do that. I’ll be home soon. I’m going to get changed, and then I’m taking you out for dinner.”

“Are you serious!?”

“Give some thought to where you’d like to go. Whatever you want, we’ll get it.” Sae smiled as she reached the Yongen-Jaya subway platform. “I’d like for the evening to be a pleasant one. We have a lot to talk about, after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Damn, Hureno really outdid herself on this one. That's all custom sprite work, no edits of pre-existing work.
> 
> Update: This fic has been changed to use Joker's canon name.


End file.
